Though making moonshine at home, even from this recipe, is technically illegal, in theory it's very easy to do-- as long as you know the history and a few basic techniques, you'll be making it in your bathtub the way Jay Gatsby and F. Scott Fitzgerald did.

The word "moonshine" refers to any very high proof of Whiskey alcohol (think 190 proof, enough to ask an elephant to give you hir keys for the night) illicitly distilled. According to scholars, the word may derive from the practice of secretly producing and distributing it under cloak of night.

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Cliches about moonshine, like the history of its infamous bathtub preparation, come from the fact that those who prepared it (and continue to do so) rarely have access to proper barrels to do the aging.

It's important to note that you shouldn't attempt to make moonshine, as chances are you'll blow up your house. Any concentration of alcohol above 50% is flammable, and therefore super dangerous to handle. If you don't have proper ventilation, you could cause a serious accident.

Better to rely on really strong tasting alcohols, like Everclear, for use in our Moonshine Martini.

1. Find a pickle with a lot of spice.

We recommend the Whiskey Sour Pickle from Brooklyn Brine, but you can use whichever one you like.

2. Mix it up.

5 parts Everclear to 1 part cheap dry Vermouth. Finish off with a generous splash of the spicy pickle juice. Anything less than dirty here just won't fly.

3. Serve.

Serve while teeming through old photo albums.

Enjoy!